After almost two years of anticipation, the Limestone College football team took the field for the first time in program history in front of a lively crowd of 5,834 fans. Wingate University stole the show though, handing the Saints a 38-10 loss at The Reservation at Gaffney High School on Saturday, September 6.

Freshman kicker Jonathan Ray (Sumter, S.C.) scored the first points in team history with a 33-yard field goal with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter while redshirt-freshman DeAnthony Neal (Winston-Salem, N.C.) scored Limestone’s first touchdown on a 1-yard dive early in the fourth.

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Neal finished with 10 rushes for 58 yards to lead the Saints on the ground while true freshman Matthew Harkness (Moncks Corner, S.C.) collected 238 all-purposed yards. He went 21-of-37 through the air for 186 yards while tallying 52 yards rushing. Neal hauled in eight catches for 53 yards.

Following a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs scored on their first two possessions of the second to take a 10-0 lead. Lawrence Pittman capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive with an 8-yard scamper to put Wingate in front by 10 with 3:53 to play in the opening half.

The Saints let a pair of scoring opportunities slip by in the second quarter, both times coming up empty after two long drives put them just outside the redzone.

A 44-yard run by Neal put Limestone at the 23-yard line, but a pair of costly penalties ended the drive and the ball was eventually turned over on downs. Another long drive stalled at the 24-yard line, resulting in a missed 41-yard field goal attempt as the Blue and Gold went into the locker room trailing 10-0.

The Saints took the opening possession of the second half and marched down the field, setting up Ray’s 33-yard field goal. Redshirt-freshman D’Anta Fleming (Greer, S.C.) highlighted the drive with a 16-yard run on an end around.

The defensive unit forced the Bulldogs off the field following a tackle by redshirt-freshman Roderick Oglesby (Gaffney, S.C.), but a turnover on the other end just two plays later made it a 17-3 game. Nick Napolitano forced the fumble while Steven Jacobs picked it up for a 12-yard touchdown.

Wingate’s defense put up another touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Brandon Hathaway recovered a loose ball and took it 49 yards the other way, staking the visitors to a 24-3 advantage.

On the next possession, a 25-yard rush by Harkness keyed Limestone’s only touchdown drive of the day. The Saints went 74 yards on 10 plays in 3:33, punctuated by Neal’s 1-yard dive from the wildcat.

Despite the renewed energy in the stadium, the Bulldogs would put the game away with a pair of touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter to seal the 38-10 decision.

Limestone finished with 355 yards of total offense and collected 22 first downs, but the team was hurt by six penalties for 120 yards and three turnovers. Defensively, the Saints limited Wingate to 57 yards in the air, but surrendered 236 yards on the ground.